Crucible-handling device



' July 30, 1929. H. G. WELLMAN I 1,722,777

GRUCIBLE HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 12', 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 35 fivvew-ra:

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HOLLEY & M-Zuww Filed Jan. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i nu l-I Patented July 30, 1929.

HOLLEY G. w LfiMAn, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CRUCIBLE-HANDLING DEVICE.

Application filed January 12, 1927. Serial No. 160,556.

7 My invention relates to apparatus for handling crucibles, and particularly to apparatus for handling crucibles used in making metal castings. The objects of the invention are to provide apparatus of this character which shall be of simple construction, shall be adaptable for convenient and quick use upon any part of the foundry floor, which may be satisfactorily operated by one or at most two operators, which shall insure the accurate and quick pouring of the molten metal without liability of spilling the same, upon the foundry floor, or of pouring slag or dross from the crucible, and which shall very satisfactorily'protect the fragile crucibles from breakage.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means, however, constituting but one of the various Ways in which the principle of the invention may be illustrated.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 represents a complete side elevation of a crucible-handling device embodying my invention, showing a conventional hoist for establishing and maintaining the proper working heights of the device and also showing a fragmentary portion of an overhead trolley by which the device may be brought to the desired working position upon the foundry floor;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a certain handle structure for the cradle forming part of my invention; V

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation of the crucible-handling device proper, the view being upon an enlarged scale; g

Figure 4 is a plan view, taken in the plane indicated by the line IV-IV, Figure 3 Figure 5 is a vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line f-V, Figure 3, showing the crucible locked 1n upright nonpouring position;

Figure 6 is a view of the elements shown in Figure 5 in the tilted pouring position;

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken in the plane indicated by the line VII VII, Figure 4:;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a deta1l,taken in the plane indicated by the line VIII- VIII, Figure 3; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line IX IX, Figure 3.

Referring to the annexed drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective ordinals in the-several views,

I indicate my crucible-handle device proper by the ordinal 1, the same having a cradle structure 2 within which is adapted to be mounted a crucible 7, the device being raised or lowered as desired by means of the chain (5 operated by a hoist 3 of conventional construction, the hoist being hung from trollics 4: adapted to travel upon an overhead track 5.

It is evident that such a structure will permit bringing the cradle 2 to any convenient desired point adjacent the furnace where the crucible 7 with its load of molten metal can be loaded into the cradle, this structure also providing by a suitable arrangement of tracks for the conveying of the loaded crucible to any desired pouring position and the lowering and raising of the crucible to such extent as is desired. 7

My invention contemplates the tilting of the crucible 7 to pouring position by easily operable means, the limiting of this pouring so as to insure non-slopping of the molten metal and the non-possibility of the crucible 7 being dumped out of the cradle 2, and means also to insurethe secure locking of the crucible 7 in its upright non-pouring position until it is desired positively to tilt the same for pouring, the locking means also automatically becoming effective when the crucible 7,is

turned back from pouring position into its upright position.

he handling device proper comprises a frame member 8 from which depend two -.rods 9 having hook-shaped lower ends 10 engaging the eyes 15'of bolts 14 which are secured, respectively, in the bosses 12 and 13 of bearing members 12 and 13." The bear mg member 13 1s a half-section and the bear ing is completed by the lower bearing section 16, plainly shown in Figures 1,. 3, and 7 The cradle 2 is formed centrally of its length into a ring section 11 of a size adapted to engage that size of crucible which it is desired to to the'bar 2 and byfthe collar 27 also secured i to the bar 2 and having a flange 28 adapted to run upon one end of the bearing 12. The bearing 1316 at the other end is held by a two section clamp-collar 17 secured to the bar 2 and by a clamp collar comprised of an upper lll plate formed as an integral part of the bearing section 13. Adjacent its upper end, the plate 20 is formed with a pair of horizon- 1 tallyexten ding spaced ears 21 between which is pivoted upon a pin 22 a keeper 23 having a weighted end- 23" and adapted normally to intersect theslots 24 and 25 and thus prevent the turning of the plate 19 and consequently the turning of the cradle 2 to which the collar 18 ofwhich the plate 19 is a part is secured. It is necessary only to manually raise the keeper 23 to the position shown in dot-anddash lines in Figure 3 to permitthe turning of the cradle 2 and consequently of the crucible 7 The upward lift of the keeper 23 is limited to insure its not being thrown to the other side of a vertical plane by means of a bolt 31 secured in the bearing member 13 and provided with a locking nut 32, one end of the keeper 23 contacting with the head of said bolt, when the keeper is raised to its extreme upper position, as plainly shown in Figure 3.

. In order to insure not turning the crucible 7 too far, I provide the semi-circular rotatable plate 19 with substantially diametrically opposite peripheral ears 19, plainly shown in Figures 5 and 6, which are adapted to con tact with the body of the keeper 23, when the crucible 7 and consequently the plate 19 has been moved through substantially 90degrees in either direction. Thus an effective pouring position is insured for all quantities of molten metal in the crucible 7, and the tilting is stopped at a point which will not curtail a satisfactory emptying of the crucible 7 but will insure a non-slopping of the undesired dregs and also insure the non-falling of the crucible 7 upon the foundry floor.

Bosses 12 and 13 are formed upon the under sides of the bearing'members 12 and 13, respectively, which are adapted to receive legs 33 to support the cradle 2 and to main tain the ring member 11 in a horizontalposition, ready to receive the crucible 7. The bearing member 12 and 1316, and the collars for locating and locking'the same are positioned so as to insure the non-access in pose. ofpouring its contents. The invention is, however, primarily intended for operation by two men. One of them can actually effect the pouring operation through the medium of a suitable handle 29, plainly shown in Figure 2, of yoke-shaped formation, and the other operator by means of manipulating or steadying the other end of the bar 2 can insure the proper guidance of the device. 7 i What I claim is:

1. A crucible-handling device comprising a frame; means for dependingly supporting the latter; a cradle rotatably supported by said frame; means for tilting the cradle; a plate secured to the cradle and formed with a keeper slot; a plate secured to said frame; and a keeper pivotally mounted upon said last-named plate, said keeper automatically dropping into said keeper slot when the cradle is turned into upright position.

2. A crucible-handling device comprising a frame; means for dependingly supporting the latter; a cradle rotatably supported by said frame; means for tilting the cradle;

a plate secured to the cradle and formed" with a keeper slot; a plate secured to said frame; a manually-releasable keeper pivotally mounted upon said last-named plate; andmeans secured to said first-named plate and co-operating with said keeper to limit the tilting movement of the cradle, said keeper automatically dropping into said keeper slot when the cradle is turned into upright position.

3. A crucible-handling device comprising a frame; means for dependingly. supporting the latter; a cradle rotatably supported by said frame; means for tilting the cradle;

a plate secured to the cradle and formed with a keeper slot; a plate secured to said frame and also formed with a keeper slot, said plates being in vertical parallel align ment and'said slots being formed transversely of the upper edges of the plates and registering when the cradle is in upright position; and a manually-releasable keeper pivotally mounted uponrsaid last-named plate, the first-named plate moving under and supporting the keeper when'the cradle is moved from or toward its upright position. t

4. A crucible-handling device comprising a frame; a cradle rotatably supported by said frame; means for tilting the cradle; means secured to the cradle providing a keeper slot; a keeper pivotally mounted on said frame in alignment with the path of movement of said keeper slot; and means for holding the keeper in inoperative position until the keeper'slot intersectsthe. path in which the keeper is adapted to move." I

Signed by m 1926; p i

HQLLEY G. WELLMAN.

during the tilting movement of the cradle e'this 21st day of December, 

